Americans' wild journey ends in OT

GHANA 2, UNITED STATES 1

Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times

Published
4:00 am PDT, Sunday, June 27, 2010

The U.S. team's manic run through the World Cup came to an abrupt end Saturday with a 2-1 overtime loss to Ghana that was decided on a splendid goal by Asamoah Gyan as the clock here ticked toward midnight.

The Americans never led in regulation time in the tournament and never lost in regulation either. Yet they came within a goal of the quarterfinals, only to be sent home on Gyan's shot in the dark.

"The finality of it is brutal," said Landon Donovan, the L.A. Galaxy star who scored three of the five U.S. goals in the tournament. "When you realize how much you put into it, not only for the last four years but for your whole life. There's no guarantee there's another opportunity. It's disappointing."

After fighting back to force the extra period on a Donovan penalty kick in the 62nd minute, the United States saw Ghana retake the lead three minutes into the first 15-minute extra period on a play that started innocently enough with the U.S. sending a long ball into the Ghana end. A Ghanaian defender headed it forward to Andre Ayew, who cleared it back across the midfield line.

But his clearing shot found Gyan on a dead run, cutting between two U.S. defenders. Gyan grounded the ball with his chest and got off a left-footed shot that went over keeper Tim Howard and into the goal, sending the United States home and the Black Stars on to the quarterfinals to play Uruguay.

RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 26: Asamoah Gyan (R) of Ghana celebrates victory with Sulley Muntari and Lee Addy (L) of Ghana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Round of Sixteen match between USA and Ghana at Royal Bafokeng Stadium on June 26,2010 in Rustenburg, South Africa. less

RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 26: Asamoah Gyan (R) of Ghana celebrates victory with Sulley Muntari and Lee Addy (L) of Ghana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Round of Sixteen match between USA and ... more

Photo: Phil Cole, Getty Images

Photo: Phil Cole, Getty Images

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RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 26: Asamoah Gyan (R) of Ghana celebrates victory with Sulley Muntari and Lee Addy (L) of Ghana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Round of Sixteen match between USA and Ghana at Royal Bafokeng Stadium on June 26,2010 in Rustenburg, South Africa. less

RUSTENBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 26: Asamoah Gyan (R) of Ghana celebrates victory with Sulley Muntari and Lee Addy (L) of Ghana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Round of Sixteen match between USA and ... more

Photo: Phil Cole, Getty Images

Americans' wild journey ends in OT

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"We had a great opportunity. But you have to prove it over 90 minutes, and we didn't do it," Howard said. "We should have won the game."

This is the second time in as many World Cups that Ghana has sent the United States packing with a 2-1 win, having knocked the United States out in group play in 2006. That came in Ghana's World Cup debut, and it carried the Black Stars into the second round. This time they're going to the quarterfinals, where they will meet Uruguay on Friday at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

Despite the bitter end, for the United States this World Cup has been equal parts good soccer and good fortune, a two-week roller-coaster ride that ended in the same place where it started - tiny Royal Bafokeng Stadium, squeezed on a South African plain between the old mining town of Rustenburg and the modern resort playground of Sun City.

Along the way, the team won the cheers of former President Bill Clinton, who extended his stay in South Africa to attend Saturday's game.

Clinton, who was sitting with Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, watched Ghana get its first goal in the fifth minute when Kwadwo Asamoah took the ball from American midfielder Ricardo Clark at the midfield stripe and fed Kevin-Prince Boateng, who raced up the left wing before letting go a left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area that beat Howard cleanly to the near post.

It was the first time Ghana scored on anything other than a penalty kick in this World Cup, and Boateng, Ghana's bad-boy striker, celebrated by dancing off the pitch and up the track surrounding the field as his teammates gave chase.

The United States came back to tie the score after Clint Dempsey drew a foul on a nice run he started by turning defender John Mensah around before racing into the box. Ghana's Jonathan Mensah gave chase, earning a yellow card with a hard tackle from behind, setting up Donovan's penalty kick.